SysTrust engagements provide answers about critical system issues. A SysTrust opinion is delivered in an easy-to-understand report that can be shared with customers, business partners and any other interested party. Companies can tailor engagements to meet their specific needs.

The SysTrust service defines a system as being made up of five main components:

• Data. The information used and supported by a system, including transaction streams, files, databases, and tables.
  
  
• Infrastructure. The physical and hardware components, including facilities, mainframes, servers, networks and related components.
  
  
• People. The personnel involved in the system’s operation and use, including programmers, operators, users and management.
  
  
• Procedures. The programmed and manual procedures supporting system operation, including back-up, maintenance, and data entry.
  
  
• Software. The programs and operating software, including operating systems, utilities, business applications and financial systems.

The “system” may apply to a range of operations and business processes, from a personal-computer-based payroll application with only one user to a multi-application, multi-computer banking system that has virtually unlimited users within and outside the organization.

Putting SysTrust to Work

Here’s a typical SysTrust scenario: A company is planning to implement an information technology system overhaul. Its internal system will be much more sophisticated and offer greater access to the Internet. The company recognizes that, along with many advantages, the system also opens it up to greater vulnerabilities, including unforeseen weaknesses, leading to corrupt data or inaccessible information, as well as possible intrusion from outsiders. Although management has confidence in its new technology plans, they would like third-party assurance about the system. Management uses SysTrust to address needs relating to security, confidentiality, processing integrity and availability.

For more information about a SysTrust audit, contact us.

For a chart showing the differences between a SAS 70 audit and a SysTrust (or WebTrust) audit, click here to view the pdf.